4
Engels’ Dialectics of Nature (1883) “We by no means rule over nature like a conqueror over a foreign people, like someone standing outside of nature--but that we… belong to nature and exist in its midst…” belong to nature and exist in its midst…” “We are…getting to know both the immediate and the more remote consequences of our interference with the traditional course of nature…. The more will men not only feel, but also know, their unity with nature, and thus the more impossible will become the senseless and anti- natural idea of a contradiction between …man and nature.”

5
Rosa Luxemburg (1917)

6
Soviet Central Planning “The means—industrialization— came permanently to replace the end—egalitarianism—as it was…expressed in the Bolshevik Revolution.” (Bailes) Economic decisions made not by workers’ self-management, but central planners insensitive to local communities’ needs

7
USSR was worse than West 2.5 X air pollution of U.S. (per GNP) 20% water unsafe 1/3 of arable land affected by acid rain Etc., etc.

13
Aral Sea Once the 4th largest inland body of water in the world. A series of dams was built to irrigate cotton. Aral Sea reduced to about 25% of its 1960 volume, 4x salinity wiped out the fishery. Pollutants became airborne as dust, causing significant local health problems.

44
Soviet media reaction to Three-Mile Island, 1979 Literaturnaya Gazeta: Pennsylvania near- meltdown was a “serious, major accident.” Kommunist: Build nukes in less populated areas. Izvestiya: “essentially minor unfavorable consequences were depicted in an extremely exaggerated form,” by an antinuclear movement that is a “tool” of Western oil companies (!)

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Half of deaths, many genetic defects in local contaminated zone 8,000-10,000 premature deaths United Nations Scientific Committee of the Effects of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), 2005

46
My grandmother, by Luda

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Death of my life, by Marina

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Chernobyl is war, by Irena

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Beauty and the beast, by Helena

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Nothing escapes radiation, by Irena

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Chernobyl, our hell, by Eugenia

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Self-portrait, by Natasha

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Chernobyl’s political fallout Secrecy stimulated opposition to nuclear power in GDR, Poland, Czechoslovakia (with Western activists) Stimulated nationalism in Ukraine and Belarus, and Baltic republics that lost clean-up workers (strike by angry Estonian conscripts). Gorbachev’s Glasnost (openness) stronger in short-term. USSR weakened in long-term by questioning of the heart of technocratic power; collapsed within 5 years.

54
Nuclear plants in Europe

55
Transitions to Capitalism Central Europe best world region to study transition from state-run socialist economy to privatized capitalist economy Transitions uneven within and between different countries State & global institutions still play roll in economy Move from Primary/Secondary to Tertiary/Quaternary economy

64
Clear-cutting in Siberia Japanese and South Korean companies take advantage of Yeltsin’s “fire sale, ” 1990s International campaign to protect Amur Tiger near China Putin restricts foreign companies, 2010s

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Other positives in Central Europe Ecological activists in transition –Slovenia, Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, etc. Increased spending in some states Pollution control technology Loss of markets in USSR Entry into E.U. standards 2000

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Cleaner air and water, 1990s Because of capitalist market reforms (Bochinarz) or in spite of them? Due to deindustrialization of heavily polluting military plants? Due to severe recession? Due to end of censorship? Due to E.U. standards?

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Natural Gas dependency Russian cutoff to Ukraine, EU, 2009

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New problems under capitalism Profit motive for corporate secrecy –Need for strong regulation during time of weakening state and privatization. Foreign companies not accountable –Go bankrupt when face penalties –Power transferred from COMECON to WTO Market-based models for regulations –Emissions trading, carbon markets, etc. allow polluters to continue polluting

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“Ecological Imperialism”? Western environmentalists imposing beliefs? –Like feminism, took decades to develop in West –East Bloc citizens had zero political or consumer choices Nationalists resent EU holding back development –Also resent polluting foreign companies Countries have their own ecological traditions –Village regulations of use of Commons; forest access Western, Eastern activists now have common issues